With the trend for increasing control and automation of sequences both in the industrial field and also in the household field, and with simultaneous decentralization of electronics directly into the process as well as miniaturization of electronic assemblies into compact, easy-to-assemble devices, suitable electronics housings are increasingly required, the connection technology typically also being integrated in the housing. The individual housings are typically mounted directly on a support rail and are preferably connected to one another and to a controller via a bus system.
Depending on the application, there are manifold different housing forms for this purpose, which differ in their size, construction, and function. All of these housings share the feature that electronic assemblies, usually in the form of circuit boards, are situated in their interiors, which are protected from contact and dirt by the electronics housing. Housings of this type are usually constructed modularly, the housings particularly being implemented according to the building block principle, so that the individual housing parts may be assembled individually and rapidly to form an optimal housing.
The housing of the traditional type frequently comprises a housing upper part and a housing lower part, the housing upper part having terminals for electrical lines, the terminals being connected via plug-in contacts to the housing lower part, and the housing lower part producing the connection to a bus system. The individual housings are implemented in such a way that multiple housings may be snapped neighboring one another on a support rail, so that multiple housings together form a housing block. The individual neighboring housings or the individual neighboring electronic devices may preferably be electrically contacted with one another.
Housings of this traditional type are attached to the support rail in such a way that a locking element is situated in the housing bottom, the locking element engaging with the support rail when the housing is placed on the support rail. In order to remove the housing, and thus also the electronic device, from the support rail, the engagement described above must be disengaged, for which purpose the locking element, which is typically spring-loaded, must be retracted against its spring force.
As described in the PHOENIX CONTACT Catalogue COMBICON 200511, pages 378 through 393, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety, simple mounting of the housings on the support rail and also simple connection of neighboring electronics housings to one another are possible, but the individual housings may only be adapted to different devices in a limited way. In particular, in the event of a subsequent change of the electronics of the device, another housing is usually necessary.